Gifted
by saltandburnit
Summary: Struggling to keep a semblance of a normalcy he cannot begin to understand in his life is hard enough for Yuuri. [..] And that's still the least of his problems. Because how can you tell the very human guy you just met that his spirit guardian of a dog had somehow ended up appointing him his magical bodyguard, without actually telling him you're, well, kind of a witch?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** _Struggling to keep a semblance of a normalcy he cannot begin to understand in his life is hard enough for Yuuri, who had taken it upon himself to solve the various problems and chores people shove his way. It's as much of a job as any, he supposes, but then a problem refuses to be solved and that's still the least of his problems. Because how can you tell the very human guy you just met that his spirit guardian of a dog had somehow ended up appointing him his magical bodyguard, without actually telling him you're, well, kind of a witch?_

* * *

 **Chapter One**

He had always admired the ice. Cold, strong, fierce. Yet beautiful, mesmerizing- even… mysterious. A frozen lake, with all its life stilted, trapped beneath. A temptation that could kill you in a single mistake or a moment of weakness not your own. He loved the ice that formed in his hometown, would always reach out with delicate movements to brush its surface, the chill comforting in a way that warmed his heart, ironic though it may have seemed. A small smile would grace his features, taking in the white of the snow, the translucence of the frost.

There was a lake in this town. It would stay frozen for nine months every year, then come back to life, without fail, for the summer. The timing, too perfect, too calculated to be natural, baffled scientists everywhere. He had originally wandered into town to look into that odd phenomenon, found himself unwilling to leave. The city itself was big and bustling and so so loud, but there were parts of it that held an almost eerie quiet, blessed in the chaos of the big city. In that remarkable difference he had found beauty, so he had chosen to stay.

Besides, the greater the chaos, the easier he could find a job. But that was a whole other story.

The sound of the pen clicking could be annoying at least three tables seated in the coffee shop, except for the person responsible for it. It barely registered to his ears, as his eyes scanned the odd script on the pages of his notebook, crumbled from use, his mind trying to figure out what was missing, what was causing him to fail.

He was dragged out of his headache-inducing problem by the sound of the chair across from him scraping against the ground.

"One of these days, I'll get curious and ask how many languages you know and ultimately freak myself out," Phichit pointed out, eyeing the letters on his friend's notebook. "I wanna say… _Greek_?"

Yuuri hummed in agreement. "Greek and Latin are good for spells."

"Because they're super old?"

"Because they're super old," he laughed. "But age is not helping me solve this, unfortunately." A small smile lingered on his lips, even when he returned his gaze to the pages, sneaking glances at his friend, who was starting to lean forward to examine the words himself. With the language unknown to him however, after a few seconds of staring, Phichit wrinkled his nose, looking enough like one of his beloved hamsters to have Yuuri holding back giggles.

"So, what _are_ you working on?" he eventually gave up and asked, all attempts to decipher it himself turning out futile. "Wait- did you get up to order?" He added, once the waitress who had stopped by with two steaming cups of fresh coffee walked away, looking slightly perplexed. At Yuuri's smile and that inconspicuous little shrug, he decided, like most things when it came to Yuuri, that he was better off knowing less than more.

Even though he was itching with curiosity and would, without a doubt, resume that conversation as soon as the other finished answering his previous question.

"I'm not sure, to be honest. I mean- I thought it was a simple case of a haunted area- there's been trouble at the outskirts, near that ice cream place you like so much, did you hear?- but I didn't see a spirit there… which okay, it happens, but none of the counterspells or charms that I've tried have seemed to work so far…" Yuuri trailed off, a full frown hardening his normally soft features. He didn't like failing, Phichit was made aware of that a week into living together, but this was more than that. This was- this was upset. Upset needed a more definite reason than a couple wasted charms.

"Well… what else could it be?" Phichit dared ask, concern hidden from his voice in the place of curiosity, yet there was a crease just between his brows to betray it.

Yuuri's frown only deepened. "A hex?"

He had listened to his roommate explain the basics of different kinds of magic enough times to understand his distress. "Don't you need a Caster for a hex?"

"One with a good reason, yes," Yuuri nodded. Annoyance flashed in his eyes, before he waved off the whole thing. "No, it's probably just me being incompetent. I'll get it right soon enough." Phichit began to protest, though he was immediately cut off. "Thank you, but it's more likely that I'm doing _something_ wrong here, than there being a person casting _hexes_ of all things, in a place as desolate as this. Besides-"

His attention was directed elsewhere by accident, once brown eyes caught sight of a greying mop of brown curls, bouncing excitedly up and down at the entrance to the shop. The sight of the creature staring lovingly at the human they were accompanying filled his chest with warmth until a smile tugged helplessly at his lips.

"Cute dog," Phichit cooed, having turned to see what had taken over his attention. "Not cute like my hamsters, but still- Hey, she kind of looks like a bigger version of Vicchan, doesn't she?"

Yuuri shifted his eyes from the subject of his affections, solely to grant Phichit a knowing look. "Exactly like a bigger version of Vicchan." And all that that entailed.

At first, it was clear he hadn't understood, frowning a little at the overly implying tone being used. Not too long after however, Phichit gaped, head snapping back -entirely indiscreetly too- to take another good look. "Are you saying that's not just a dog?" Yuuri laughed softly. "A Guardian. How can you even tell?"

"I can tell."

Often Guardian Spirits would take the form of pets. Both for convenience but also when they wished to help people with no connection to magic- or at least one that they were aware of. It was a friend gained from affection, either as a gift from a person with enough knowledge of magic to wish to protect you with one -as was the case with Vicchan, courtesy of his mother-, or it was said that when a loved one passed away, if they loved you so much they would send a Guardian down to watch over you, since they couldn't do it themselves anymore.

Yuuri gazed at the poodle and wondered how he had gotten attached to the human, who…

Oh.

Who was looking right at him.

Mostly because said Guardian was also looking right at him.

Witches could sense Guardians. As was fair, Guardians could also sense witches.

 _Shit._

With a resounding _woof_ as though to announce the upcoming inspection, the poodle ran over to their table, large curious eyes glued to Yuuri alone.

He made sure to return the gesture fully, his gaze open, sincere, to reassure her he meant no harm. The dog tilted her head for a second, taking him in, before a happy bark preceded her vicious, absolutely _merciless_ attack of slobber in form of happy dog kisses on his face.

Phichit was openly laughing at his expense, while Yuuri all but giggled, mindful enough to remove his glasses, so at least something would be salvaged from this fight he was so hopelessly losing. Guardians could easily turn aggressive against people of magic they didn't trust, but pass their judgment and they would love you.

" _Makkachin!_ " Her human scolded, though laughter bubbled in his voice. "I'm sorry- she's very friendly, but this is a little new, even for her."

Yuuri waved him off, still smiling. "It's fine really, she's no-" The words died on the tip of his tongue once he finally took a proper look at the human she was guarding. Well, damn. He'd protect him too, if he needed an extra dose of magical shielding. Or anything else, really.

"It's probably kinship," Phichit chose that time to joke, resulting in one very confused, very attractive stranger, looking at the both of them like he wasn't sure if he should be waiting for a punch line or not.

Yuuri snuck a glare at his friend to reward his _assistance_. "Be-because I'm a dog person. That's what he means. Nothing else."

"Nope," Phichit grinned, unfazed by the unfriendly sentiments directed his way. "Nothing at all."

The man seemed to ignore their odd behavior. He must have latched on to something from their conversation, because his expression brightened into an excited smile, lips parting to say something, only to be interrupted.

"Sorry, we- we really need to go!" Yuuri blurted out, all but jumping from his spot. His chair screeched painfully loud against the tile floor, bringing a wince to all three of them. Half-finished coffees were left forgotten as he grabbed his friend's jacked and pulled, dragging them both out of the shop, despite the protests. He tried not to look back at the stranger's expression as they left, though his heart ached at the pitiful whine the poodle made at his abrupt departure.

Only when they were a good ways away from the coffee place did Yuuri round up on his roommate, who looked decidedly _less guilty_ than he should be.

 _"Phichit, that wasn't funny!"_

Phichit raised his hands in defense. "I beg to differ, but _still_ \- why did we leave like that? He was being friendly."

Why _did_ he leave like that? Something had felt alarmingly _off_ at the moment, an instinct screaming _wrong wrong wrong_ at him that he couldn't place. Frustration built up in his chest- was it just a case of bad anxiety, or had something been truly wrong? His inability to separate the two could prove to be dangerous. For himself, as well as that stranger. Wouldn't the Guardian have picked it up, however, if there was a danger to look out for?

"Yuuri?" Phichit called, brows scrunched up in concern. "What is it?"

"Something felt off…" he admitted, gaze cast down.

"You mean other than the fact that a guardian spirit tried to play matchmaker between a witch and a _super hot dude_?"

" _Phichit!"_

"And hey, kinship comment or not, it's not like his first thought would be _witch_ , even if he knows his dog is magic."

"You're right," Yuuri conceded. "With my luck, he'll think I'm a werewolf."

* * *

Yuuri met Phichit on his first day of college, having been assigned as his roommate. A roommate he had apparently skipped the memo he was going to have, because by the time Phichit had stepped inside his new college dorm room, he found his supposed new roommate reading out loud from an intimidating, thick textbook, while a pen kept notes nearby. No, not Yuuri. The _pen_ kept the notes, as he dutifully read to it.

"What the _shit_?" were the first words they ever exchanged, followed by a high-pitched yelp and a string of apologies and curses, that he still regretted not recording to this day.

It took a while to calm Yuuri down, but as soon as it was obvious that Phichit wasn't bothered by their current situation, just surprised and he wouldn't even think to betray his secret outside of the four walls of their room (which, kinship comments aside, was a promise he had kept without fail), they settled into each other's company with more ease than their first meeting should have granted them. It was surprisingly easy to convince Yuuri of that, though it may have had something to do with the way Phichit looked at his new roommate with enough sparkle in his eyes to beat a child's on Christmas morning.

Adjusting was hard. The little witch, fresh out of the protective walls of his home back in Hasetsu, where it had been safe for him to be who, _what_ he was as much as he wanted to, even if not the entirety of his family had been magic, had to learn to blend in with the normal people. It came as a surprise to them both, how clueless Yuuri could be sometimes as to what was normal and what wasn't. And Phichit, poor, innocent Phichit had to witness -and shockingly enough _, survive_ \- a few of his friend's less harmless antics.

He got used to the explosions by the third time around. If he didn't know it was paramount that Yuuri's secret remained just that- a secret, Phichit would have long ago given in to the urge to make daily vlogs. Of the " _hi, I'm Phichit and this is Jackass,_ " type.

* * *

He had all but forgotten about the adorable guardian dog and her human by the time next week rolled around and his haunting problem remained unresolved. His trip home was _canceled_ for the foreseeable future, because he couldn't leave without finishing this, which meant that until he did that, he wouldn't be able to see his family. Or his own Guardian, as Mari was apparently too busy to come a few towns over to him. He had left Vicchan with her when it had been made clear they wouldn't be able to live as nearby as they would have liked. Although it ached to be away from him, his sister could use the magical protection more than he did.

 _He would have liked to see him right now though!_

As though his wish had been heard, a loud bark caught his attention from the corner of the street. For a moment he could have sworn it was truly Vicchan, until the poodle came close enough for the difference in size to be made obvious. Even so, he _knew_ that Guardian.

"Makkachin?" Yuuri whispered, eyes shot open wide.

She stopped right in front of him, offering a whine at the sound of her name. A few people paused to stare at them, confused as to why the dog who had run here from who knows how far would suddenly stop in front of an equally surprised pedestrian. The sound of her distress tugged at his heart enough however, to focus on her alone.

"What is it, girl?" he asked, kneeling down to her level and reaching with his hand to scratch the back of her ears. "Something wrong?"

Makkachin barked once and sprinted off to where she had come from, pausing only once to signal to Yuuri that he should, indeed, follow her.

Well, then.

The distance wasn't long after all, though Yuuri was surprised to have ended up in the one place that had started it all for him.

The lake.

Frozen still, as it almost always was, with a very distressed human looking around for his friend. The instant relief that visibly washed over him at the sight of his Guardian caused Yuuri's heart to weep once more for his own pup.

"Makka, oh, thank God!" he called out, running over to meet her halfway, before falling to his knees to wrap her in a tight hug. "Don't run off like that again. What got into you- _Oh._ "

Yuuri stood awkwardly off to the side, fidgeting with the hem of his jacket. "H-hi. Sorry to intrude, I… I think she really wanted me to join you."

His worry having dissipated already, the man could laugh it off with ease. "She did go into a lot of trouble to get you there. I'm Viktor."

And Yuuri looked at him then, looked straight at him, trying to figure out what it was that had gone so terribly wrong the last time they had been in close proximity to each other. It wasn't Viktor- there was not a malicious bone in him, nothing intentional, Yuuri could sense at least that much- but that feeling of utter _wrongness_ surrounding him persisted. He had never encountered anything quite so discreet, yet so obviously _there_ at the same time.

His gaze shifted over to Makkachin, who met his gaze with deep, pleading eyes. Why did she have to be a dog? Puppy eyes were the hardest to resist.

There wasn't much choice in the matter. He took a deep, steadying breath, before making a silent vow to Makkachin to fulfill her wish.

I'll protect your human.

I'll protect… _Viktor._ For you, I'll do it for you.

"I'm Yuuri."

He tried really hard not to think how he was supposed to go about doing that, without Viktor actually figuring out the truth.

* * *

 _A/N: I promised I'd bring something more light-hearted next time._  
 _Well. Light-hearted for now._  
 _Anyhow, please note that the tags will be updated as the story progresses, so do check them regularly if you care about such stuff._  
 _Hope you enjoyed! (Once again, find me on tumblr under .com)_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Yuuri was screwed. And not in the fun way. In fact, there was more of a chance for him to be screwed in the _literal_ way than the fun one.

Phichit did not share his opinion.

"It's really not that big of a deal."

Oh, right. Because keeping an eye out for a guy you barely knew because his guardian spirit sort of tricked you into it fell into the realm of normal and expected. Finding an _excuse_ to watch out for said guy was probably just as simple and somewhere out there, there had to be a perfectly reasonable explanation that wouldn't make Yuuri seem like the awkward stalker he currently felt like.

"Phichit, how can I help him if I don't spend time with him? How can I spend time with a person I don't know?" Yuuri whined, letting his head fall back against the ragged couch they were sharing. His glasses were off at the moment and he rubbed at his eyes, letting the exhaustion settle in peacefully.

Phichit plopped down next to him, feet already crisscrossed. "I believe this is usually the part where you get to know him then." He shrugged, as though what he didn't just close caption his problem. "Make a new friend."

Yuuri raised two _very_ pointed brows at him. "Phichit. It's me."

A soft chuckle escaped his friend's lips at the deadpan comment, his hands raised in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. Are you absolutely certain you can't just explain the situation to him? I mean, maybe he knows about Guardians? He _has_ one."

The ding of the microwave forced Yuuri from his seat, his voice increasing in volume to be heard as he wandered off to the kitchen. "Even if he does, how do I go about asking him that? _Oh, hey, any chance you know your dog is magic?_ I don't think that's going to go over very well…"

His friend contemplated that, the pout on his face promptly brightening up at the sight of him returning with the questionably fresh popcorn he had gone to fetch. "You could…" Phichit trailed off, tilting his head to the side. "… show him? Hey, bring Scribs with you on your next date!"

"On my _what_?"

"I like how you're not protesting the possessed pen."

Yuuri scoffed, getting up with newfound determination to get revenge on his roommate. "That's it. I'm picking the movie- no, _but_ s. And don't diss my pen. You love my pen. You _used_ my pen _to cheat."_

Phichit at least had the decency to look a little sheepish about the whole situation, even if he wasted no time to defend his actions. "Well, of course I did! With an ability like that, it would be an insult _not_ to use it." He frowned slightly, however, as he recalled the incident. "It did act a little weird though." Yuuri looked back at him, a silent question in his eyes. "I mean- would you believe me if I told you it was being _dramatic?_ Like, full on, Light Yagami massacre by Death Note dramatic. It was actually a little embarrassing." He let out an awkward chuckle as he recalled the wild hand motions, his desperate attempts to appear nonchalant about his seemingly possessed hand despite the stares coming his way. If a class full of stressed college students could stop in the midst of their exams to look at him, then it must have been _bad._

"Oh, no, that was me."

" _Yuuri!_ "

"Yeah, I might have done that on purpose."

* * *

Seeing Viktor again was easy, in theory, but next to impossible in real life. Unless he wanted to abandon all sense of personal pride and logic, in which case it was probably the opposite. He could just go find him, he could if he wanted to, but stalking people with your supernatural powers would be generally frowned upon. Even if that was technically what he was trying to do in the first place.

Staring at his phone with a pained expression on his face, all thoughts of justified, altruistic stalking fled from his mind to be replaced by a thousand different excuses as to why this was a _Very Bad Idea._ The name on the new contact in his phone seemed to mock him, his conversation with Phichit on the forefront of his mind, halting him.

 _You got his number right?_

 _Well, yes, but what if- Oh, no, what if he thinks I'm flirting with him?_

 _Have fun with it?_

 _PHICHIT!_

He groaned, letting his head fall forward in his hand. A second away from throwing his phone aside and googling how to apologize to spirit dogs for failing them, it rang in his hand. Instead of throwing it away, he threw _himself_ two feet in the air with a rather undignified squeak to complete the picture.

With his eyes blown to twice their size, he tilted the screen to stare at the caller ID.

It wasn't Viktor.

He still had a job, after all.

"So what happened, exactly?"

Yuuri tugged his scarf tighter around himself, as he took in the small disaster in front of him. The advertising sign lay broken on the ground, a small puff of smoke emerging from where the light inside had broken. The name of Phichit's favorite ice cream shop was split apart in two pieces, its owner looking at it with a pained expression on his face from the back of the place. Yuuri's heart twinged at the sight; they had spent many afternoons here with his friend, celebrating this and that, or trying to cheer each other up after a bad day.

He sighed. Phichit was going to be _pissed_.

"I wouldn't think too much of it," scowled Henry, the man who had originally requested him. "But this is the seventh incident like this around here lately, Mr. Katsuki and it can't all be faulty construction." He led Yuuri further inside, bypassing the employees to get to the back of the store. "It's a blessing no one was hurt when it fell. This can't go on."

Yuuri flinched. He had been called in back when the incidents had been only three, which were already more than he should have allowed to begin with. "I-I know. I know, I'm- _trying_ , really." Chocolate eyes roamed the walls around him, sparkling as he focused. Shaky fingers gingerly reached out, brushed against the walls. " _I don't get this,_ " he whispered to himself.

Henry watched him with open curiosity, yet knew better than to speak. The respect in his silence made the guilt in Yuuri's stomach settle more heavily when he had to turn around and shake his head, already lowered.

"I will get to the bottom of this, I promise," he nodded, despite his apparent and _repeated_ failure.

Thankfully, there was no backlash for his current incompetence, even if the man's sad smile fed the ever-growing disappointment in himself.

"I know, son. I'm just worried, you know?"

Oh, how he knew.

In fact, worrying is exactly what he did, when two voices reached his ears from the entrance of the shop. Worrying which threatened to spiral into panic any second now. These things didn't just _happen_.

"What the shit? It's _closed_!"

"Wow. What happened here?"

As if on cue, an excited _woof_ confirmed his suspicion and without fail, their attention shifted to one very confused, quietly panicking witch walking out of the store, willing himself not to search for an escape too indiscreetly. All plans were halted however, by one thrilled guardian spirit.

Makkachin rushed to his side the moment she saw him and promptly jumped on him to shower his face with kisses. Yuuri barely had enough time to react before sixty pounds of pure fluff fell onto his arms, but he managed to hold both their weights upright. The poodle's front legs were on his shoulders and the sight of them all but hugging brought a bright wave of chuckles to her owner.

Yuuri couldn't even bring himself to be mad, the dog's happy panting a sweet comfort to his ears, easing the worry pooling in the pit of his stomach.

"Yuuri…?" Viktor asked between his laughter, shifting his angle to see the man hidden behind all that fur. "Is that you?"

He laughed too, a little breathless from the precarious position. "Hi, Viktor…"

Makkachin shifted to be released moments later, though she refused to leave his side, nudging him with her head for scratches he was all too willing to grant her. He wondered briefly, if the guardian could sense his distress and was trying to protect him almost as much as she would her human.

Or perhaps she was sucking up to him to make sure he would stand by his promise.

Viktor's gentle smile betrayed his amusement at the sight, no hint of annoyance marring his gaze. Once more, Yuuri was grateful for the man's _just roll with it_ attitude. This situation would be a lot more awkward otherwise.

The same however, could not be said for his company, whose scowl seemed like a permanent fixture on his young face. The boy took one long look at Makkachin and him and scrunched up his nose even more. "Old man, I think your dog's in love."

Now, Yuuri could probably burn that kid's behind in zero point three seconds if he got startled too badly, but when the glint in those green eyes turned to him, he could do nothing but stare back, gaping, frozen.

"And who the fuck are you supposed to be?"

"Y-Yuuri?" he stammered, barely a whisper, as though his name alone was an insult.

"Yes, but who are _you?_ "

"No, I'm-I'm Yuuri, that's my name."

" _Hell_ no." Apparently it was.

Viktor chose that moment to free him from this hole he had dug himself into. He threw an arm around his companion (who wasted no time in shoving him away) and diverted at least some of the attention towards him. "Yura, be nice."

Yuuri gave Makkachin a side look, causing a suspiciously guilty whine.

"Whatever," the other Yuri scoffed. "Do you have any idea what happened here?"

A brief summary of the situation later, minus the suspicions of magical foul play and Yuuri's own involvement in the situation ( _"I'm just familiar with the owners, that's all…!")_ and Yuuri could have sworn he saw the teenager's hair rise to match his agitation. And though the irritation slowly accumulating was noticeable from the beginning, Viktor being the recipient for it was not something Yuuri had seen coming, until suddenly he had both too much and too little information shoved his way.

" _Fuck!_ Viktor, I swear I'm going to kill you!"

The shove was harsh enough to make him stumble. Belatedly, Yuuri made a gesture with his hand to grab him. Viktor, on the other hand, wasn't too bothered by the rough treatment, though he did sound surprisingly regretful.

"C-Come on now, Yuri, you can't blame me for-"

"I blame you for _everything_! Every. Damn. Time. You're a walking curse, Nikiforov!"

Yuuri's heart stopped beating.

"W… What's going on?" he breathed, his fingers curling deeper into Makkachin's curls.

Yuri threw his hands up in the air, his full attention on Yuuri, the opportunity to diss on Viktor too good to pass up. "Every fucking time! Wherever he goes, everything gets fucked up! It's ridiculous. You cannot be this unlucky!"

Regret pooled in Viktor's bright blue eyes, silently backing up the statement, even as his words protested it. "Yura, that's a little unfair…"

The younger crossed his arms defiantly, the scowl returning with a vengeance. "You moved here two months ago. Don't fuck this town up too, moron."

" _Yu_ ri!" Viktor whined, oblivious to the ever growing horror they were causing.

Two months ago…

Two months ago.

Seven incidents.

Seven incidents, the first one-

"Two months ago…" Yuuri gasped, a trembling sound edging beyond his control. He shut his eyes tight, ignoring the curious looks he was given. _Okay, okay, don't freak out in front of them._ It made sense, it made sense. Or rather- it was a _clue_ to making sense of everything that was going on. No wonder his spells weren't working, if they issue was a _person_ instead-

 _Stay calm. Leave. Think this through._

A hand grabbed his shoulder and he flinched away. Warm eyes waited for him when he lifted his gaze, the shock at being turned down overthrown by the soft concern still resting there. "Yuuri- Are you okay?"

Then _save him._

Yuuri backed away, frantically shaking his head. "No, no- I-I mean yes. I'm fine. Look, I have to- to go." A second away from bolting, he didn't even register the protests. "Um- you have? You have my phone number, right? I- I can show you around then. Since you're- new here."

He spared one second to marvel at both his courage and his embarrassing stupidity, before getting out of there as fast as he could, not even giving Viktor time to respond to his offer.

At the very least, he mused, once in the safety of his home, most of his current problems had merged into a singular, though widespread mess in need of solving.

He could only hope that didn't make it even worse.

* * *

Phichit laughing at his predicament was something he _should_ have seen coming. It didn't make it any less annoying when it came.

In their shared apartment, the food preparing itself in the kitchen and filling the place with a rich scent to make their mouths water, the two tried to make some sense of the current situation. Or rather, Yuuri did, while Phichit waited to be finished with his first round of laughter before actually shooting any ideas his way.

Yuuri used that time to groan pitifully into one of the couch pillows, silently cursing his existence and his love of dogs.

"Okay, okay, but at least you know how to go about helping the town, right? All you have to do is figure out what's wrong with Viktor."

With his face still buried in the pillow, his words were almost intelligible, but the whine behind them could not be mistaken. "Sure. Simplest thing in the world." He let his head fall back, skin a little red where it had rubbed against the rough fabric. "Isn't getting close to him for my _job_ a little unethical to begin with?"

Phichit raised a brow at his direction, unamused. "You're saving his life. Be unethical. Besides-"

Both boys looked up at the sound of the doorbell ringing. Phichit turned to him, confusion written all over his face, before getting up to answer. "Besides, you might end up liking him. It won't kill you to make a new friend."

"Oh? You want to pass on the title of best friend?"

"I said _friend,_ not best friend. That will kill you. Or him."

"How so?"

 _"Beware of my wrath, Yuuri."_

They had less than a moment to laugh it out, for that was when Phichit opened the door, only to freeze at the sight in front of him, distraught.

A tiny fluffy spirit bounced inside, faster than Yuuri had ever seen him move and launched himself into his human's arms, jumpy and panicked and oh so clingy, trying to bury himself in Yuuri's embrace. The whines wouldn't stop, even as he pulled him closer against him, trying his best to provide some comfort.

"V-V _icchan_? What are you doing here? What- _Mari?_ "

His sister rushed in after their small guardian, her gaze harsh not with anger, but with what, Yuuri realized as she pulled him into her arms, was nothing other than _concern_. With her head in her brother's hair, she sighed once, then stepped back a little to see him.

"Are you _all right_?" She demanded and he stammered, at loss. "Vicchan has been going _crazy_ since yesterday. He's still bound to you, I thought something had happened!"

Phichit joined them, lips pressed into a thin line, looking at Yuuri from behind her back.

"Mari-"

 _"What have you gotten yourself into?"_

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks for the response on the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed this one too! Don't forget to leave a review before you go and find me on tumblr at saltfics. tumblr. com !_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

There was an overactive ball of fluff wiggling in his arms and for once he felt all right, despite the madness around him. Vicchan rubbed his muzzle against Yuuri's cheeks, stretching impressively to reach that far. Featherlight licks blessed him over and over again, as he held the little puppy close. It had been far too long since they had seen each other. Regardless of the circumstances, he was glad to have him in his arms so close.

He dared a glance at his sister, sitting across from him, eyes fixed to the hint of steam rising from the tea clutched tightly in her hands. Maybe she thought he wouldn't see her shaking that way.

A prickle of guilt poked at his heart; he hadn't meant to make anyone worry, much less his family.

His lips parted to speak, but she beat him to it.

"I don't like this, Yuuri…" Mari sighed, the frown previously directed at the innocent beverage, now facing her guilty looking little brother. "I mean, you've worked with some shady people before, I know that much, even if I don't necessarily like it." She narrowed her eyes at the look the two boys shared- or rather, the amused side glance Phichit gave Yuuri, who was quick to look away from him, yet not without a suspiciously sheepish grin. " _But_ this is the first time Vicchan gets so worried about you, little brother. I don't like it. I don't like anything that makes your Guardian worry for you three towns away."

Phichit pulled his knees close to himself, resting his head on the ridge between them. "How did he even realize it?"

Mari gave another sigh. Each seemed to age her about five years, while they dumped about a metric ton of guilt on Yuuri's shoulders. "That's what worries me. He was able to sense it so easily!"

Yuuri pulled back slightly, a yip the only protest at the sudden distance. Staring at the pup in his embrace, he searched for answers, yet all he found were charcoal black eyes looking back at him with all the devotion in the world.

A different hand suddenly entered his vision, petting the top of the poodle's head fondly, the puppy closing his eyes at the gesture. Yuuri looked up to Phichit's grinning face, the combination of man and dog a sliver of light in the gloomy mood that had descended upon them.

"I know the situation is really tense right now," his friend admitted. "But I, for one, am happy to see this little guy here again." Yuuri sighed fondly at the truth of that statement. He had missed his dog. Even if he still got to see him when he went to visit Mari, it wasn't the same as having him with him all the time. "Oh, and I guess it's fine if you stay here for a few days too, Mari," Phichit added, fearless or perhaps just that stupid.

Rest in pieces.

* * *

After Mari had managed to remind Phichit of what fear looked like when it glared at you silently but full of challenge and a promise of revenge, they agreed that Mari should stay a few days. Or rather, Yuuri didn't mind and Phichit could no longer bring himself to say no, even if he wanted to. With his bed half-heartedly offered to his sister, Yuuri settled in on the couch, the warm companion resting peacefully on his stomach worth the aching back he would no doubt be faced with in the morning.

With his fingers curled around soft fur, he let himself fall asleep, for once leaving the worrying for the morning.

Early in the morning.

 _Immediately i_ n the morning as the sound of a text served as his alarm for the day.

[2 New Messages From _Viktor_ ]

"Good damn morning to me."

He pushed his glasses off just a tad to rub the sleep from his eyes, the text message glaring at him from a screen far too bright for his tired mind.

 _[6:05] Viktor:_

 _good morning c:_

 _i have a question for you_

His heart sped up a little at the message. Every possible -disastrous, _catastrophic-_ scenario for Viktor's possible question crossed his mind faster than he was able to keep up with it. With how many things he was hiding, the man could have picked up on _anything_ and Yuuri couldn't fathom how he could explain a single one of them.

Before he could drive himself into a panic however, a certain detail caught his eye, just enough to distract him from the assault of questions. His head snapped to the clock on the wall, the hands mocking him from their borderline _offensive_ position.

 _[6:15] Me:_

it's 6 am

On a Saturday.

He took a deep breath, trying not to let himself wander into the mental train of _subject of the most awkward job I've accept this far just woke me up at 6am on a Saturday morning and if this goes something like 'do Christmas trees like being decorated' I'm going to let him die instead_.

 _[6:16] Me:_

 _What's the q?_

 _[6:17] Viktor:_

 _ono did I wake you?_

 _i'm so sorry i didnt mean to wake you!_

ʕ ಡ ﹏ ಡ ʔ

Yuuri blinked at his screen. Well.

 _[6:19] Me:_

 _that's… fine_

 _what's up?_

Vicchan whined at his feet and he bent down to pick him up in his arms, before heading to the kitchen to make some much needed coffee. No use in going back to sleep now, thank you.

Phichit wandered into the kitchen, barefoot and with the legs of his pants stuck on his calf on one side. One hand tried to stifle his yawn, while the other scratched randomly at his bedridden hair. Sleepy eyes widened ever so slightly at the sight of his roommate making coffee though, despite how it was most likely the rich scent that even cheap coffee shared into the room that got him stumbling here in the first place.

"Why are _you_ of all people up?"

He should have been at least a little offended at the dig about his sleeping habits, if only he hadn't been the one to growl, whine and on occasion, yell at Phichit for waking him. A pillow may have been thrown once. Or twice. Phichit was the victim of Yuuri's inability to _morning_ like a normal person and he had every right in the world to tease him for it.

"I hate my job," he mumbled instead, just as his phone chimed again. Great way to prove his point, Viktor.

 _[6:32] Viktor:_

 _oh I was just. wondering._

 _if you were serious about your offer to take me sightseeing?_

 _i AM new here after all_

八(＾□＾*)

Phichit peered at his phone curiously, biting his lip to stop from laughing at what he saw. "Dude, is it _that_ Viktor? Bad Luck Reincarnated guy?"

 _"_ _Phichit!_ We don't know if that's the problem yet," he reprimanded, shaking his head at both his friend and the man at the other side of his text conversation. "But yes. It's _that_ Viktor. What do I even tell him?"

"Take him sightseeing," Phichit shrugged, offering him a grin at the glare he was given. "Well, _you're_ the one who offered."

Which, okay, was fair. Besides, this _was_ a job he had promised himself he would do- no, most importantly, he had promised _Makkachin_ he would do and he couldn't back down now. Tour guide it is. At least this time he would actually show up _invited._

 _[6:41] Me:_

 _Maybe_

 _But you're buying me coffee since you woke me up_

 _[6:42] Viktor:_

 _(*_ _ﾟ_ _O_ _ﾟ_ _*)_

 _deal!_

Yuuri blushed at his forwardness but all in all he was satisfied with how this conversation had gone. When Phichit started snickering however, he knew he must have done _something_ wrong.

"You do realize," he eventually said. "that Viktor probably didn't mean _right now_ but you assumed so anyway?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake…"

* * *

They had settled for meeting about an hour later and Yuuri hadn't dared to ask if Viktor had originally meant to meet up in the afternoon instead. It took about one glare and a firm " _you're taking the dog,"_ from his sister to convince him she wasn't messing around. Viktor did have Makkachin of course, but if push came to shove then the Guardian would always prioritize her human and he doubted it was him Mari was concerned about.

Not that he'd ever let Vicchan get in the way of harm.

And that's how he ended up with a small poodle at his side, jumping around his feet, excited to be walked but his favorite human once again. Yuuri laughed at the sight and Vicchan _woofed_ happily to join him. The little Guardian's presence eased his mind about the stressful situation he was going to be in. Viktor was nice enough but this was a job, this was a job, he had to remind himself so he wouldn't _freak out_ about it _\- but what if Viktor wasn't nice though? Or they had nothing to talk about and it turned awkward? He couldn't let the man_ die _because Yuuri couldn't hold a_ conversation _!_

Vicchan whined, nudging him with his muzzle. Right. Easing his mind. He could do this. Two puppies believed in him.

He tried to keep said puppies in mind with an odd kind of desperation when his eyes landed on Viktor, leaning against the wall of the coffee place where they had first met. A deep red, thin sweater fitted him in all the right places, the silver of his windswept hair and the black of his tight pants contrasting it beautifully.

Apparently appearance was the only part of his life that his bad luck hadn't affected.

Maybe he was so unspeakably unlucky as Yuri had claimed, _because_ the luck he was entitled to had been spent solely on creating… well, _this_.

It was a hypothesis worth investigating. For purely research reasons. Job. Right.

A steadying breath later, Yuuri called out to him. "Viktor!"

It came out louder than expected and he had to swallow back whatever his mouth wanted to awkwardly stammer in means of an apology. Instead, he gave a shy little wave, ignoring the heat gathering rapidly to his cheeks.

A smile graced Viktor's lips the second he heard his name and he turned to greet him, blue eyes roaming over him, shifting to the ground and-

Yuuri looked on, horrified for a second, as Viktor's smile faltered, brows furrowing in an expression of- was he sad? Was that sad? Why?

"Y _uuri_ ," Viktor gasped, not blinking once he came closer, seemingly in a daze.

Yuuri looked around, trying to sense any sort of danger that could have brought forth this reaction. "What is it? What?"

The distressed man was right in front of him now and Yuuri still couldn't tell what the issue was, _what was wrong, how could he help, Viktor-_ Viktor bent down to-

Oh.

 _Oh._

"He's so _small_!"

 _You scared the crap out of me…_ he wanted to say, yet as he looked down at Viktor already holding a pleased looking Vicchan in his arms, he could only laugh softly at them both. Besides, seeing Vicchan lick at his face happily as Viktor tried and failed not to coo between his ecstatic giggles, was a comfort to Yuuri. Like Makkachin, his own poodle had great instincts and if he liked him enough to shower him with kisses the same way he would do to his owners then Viktor was okay by his books too.

All they needed to do now was save him.

"Yuuri, can I keep him?"

And stop him from kidnapping his pup.

"Please? He and Makkachin will get along so well!"

Yuuri raised a brow at him. "Oh, you're right. You should definitely hand over Makkachin then."

The offended mock gasp from the other had Yuuri laughing for far longer than he should have, all the way to them entering the coffee shop and placing their orders. Viktor still held the puppy in his arms, scratching him behind the ears with a dejected pout on his face that trembled into a reluctant smile every time Vicchan voiced his appreciation at the treatment.

"If you're done laughing at my general lack of foresight, what's his name?" he eventually asked, risking a look at Yuuri who had settled into a smile by then.

"Vicchan," the name rolled off his tongue with a fondness etched to it as though it was impossible to pronounce without the love and the warmth associated with it. The dog looked his way at what he thought was a call and Yuuri reached out to pet him, trying to ignore the way his arm brushed against Viktor's as he did so.

" _Hi, Vicchan~"_ Viktor cooed and Yuuri cursed himself for blushing at the sight. "Ah, he's so cute! Does it mean anything?"

"I'm sorry?"

"The name? Does it mean anything?"

"Oh," Yuuri paused, wondering if there was a good way to explain how Guardians' names came to be. There wasn't a choice involved, not truly- at least not when _witches_ were involved. You just… _knew_. And they knew, too. There was supposed to be a reason for each name, something meaningful, something that may make sense in the future, or perhaps you'd never understand it yourself, but there was always _something_ that led you to it. Yuuri had taken one good look into the spirit's ink black eyes full of love and his lips had moved on their own to form the name. The puppy let out an adorable, faint little howl as if in agreement and Yuuri had tried to ignore the look of utter bewilderment on his sister's face for peeking a foreign name, because they may have called him Vic _chan_ but his name was-

" _Viktor,_ " he gasped. Lips remained parted into a silent _o,_ his gaze shifted between the two, mind blank, uncomprehending. Viktor was frowning at him, no doubt alarmed by the sudden change in demeanor, but Vicchan- _Viktor_ was looking at the human holding him, eyes sparkling, utterly pleased with himself.

"Yes? Yuuri, are you okay?" He held on to the puppy tighter with one hand to use the other to reach out to him, yet hesitated just before touching him. "Yuuri?"

There was always a reason for Guardian names, when it was the witches who named them.

Something that would make sense in the future.

"Y _uuri_!" Viktor did end up grabbing his arm after all, when his silence had stretched too long not to be worrying. It worked well enough to startle him into speaking again.

"I'm sorry! I-I am so sorry, I got distracted! I just remembered something, I-"

The frown on his face deepened considerably, though his worry had shifted into something else. "Do you want to- Would you like to take a rain check? If you're not feeling well?"

Oh, great. Did he make him feel uncomfortable? Did it look like he didn't want to be here? He didn't want to, not that much, at least not at first, but it wasn't actually half as bad as he thought it would be. Viktor was nice, Vicchan liked him, he still had a _job_ to do damn it. That said, there was no way he was just going to tell Viktor that apparently his dog was named after him because of reasons he couldn't even begin to understand, much less explain to someone else. Of course, there was still the chance that he knew of his own dog's magical capabilities, though the longer he remained in the man's presence the less he believed it to be so.

"No, n-no! Sorry, I didn't mean- Uh-" Yuuri stammered, shaking his head a little too prominently. "Something's on my mind, that's all. I'd like for us to-to continue our…" Um. "… to continue this. If- if you'd like, that is."

Viktor _beamed._

* * *

 _[12:30] Phichit:_

 _yuuri_

 _yuuuuuriii~_

 _you gonna be done by lunch?_

 _[12:32] Phichit:_

 _are you going to abandon me with your sister_

 _who i still am NOT convinced doesnt want to murder me_

 _(_ _ノ_ _ロ_ _`)_ _ノ_

 _[12:35] Me:_

 _i'm sure if she wanted to kill you she would have done so already ;)_

 _[12:37] Phichit:_

 _ヽ_ _(_ _Д´)_ _ノ_ _(д´_ _ノ_ _)_ _ヽ_ _(_ _)_ _ノ_ _(_ _ヽ_ _)_ _ヽ_ _(´_ _`)_ _ﾉ_

"Everything all right?" Viktor asked, as Yuuri placed his phone back in his pocket.

They were at the edge of the lake yet again, a simple alternative to the promised tour Viktor had suggested as soon as Yuuri's wide eyed expression silently clued him in on how he hadn't actually spent _any_ time planning on where he was going to take him, even if he had been the one who suggested the outing in the first place.

Truth was, Yuuri spent way too much time being concerned over going _out_ with Viktor to spare a thought to what they were going to do when they got to that part.

So here they were, pen and a wretched old notebook in hand, jotting down all the places they could possibly go to. It was better like this, in a way. At least by getting the man's opinion on it, he could pick what he liked and Yuuri would have one less thing to worry about. Or, that was how it was supposed to go, in theory, until Viktor decided to be unreasonable about the whole thing.

"I don't have a preference!" he grinned when asked, oblivious to his tour guide's ever growing frustration. "I want to know what _you_ like about this town, Yuuri."

Which… Okay, it was kind of sweet.

But also totally inconvenient.

"There _has_ to be something you want to do," he insisted, pressing the tip of his pen into the paper hard enough for the ink to stain a couple of pages behind it. "Just one thing? To start with? To… geographically locate me somewhere at least?" He was all but pleading by the end and Viktor just smiled at him, shrugging. That jerk.

Before he could try again though, the other sighed, index finger placed on his lips as he thought. "Well, how about we start with this? What is your favorite place in this town?" Viktor turned to him, blue eyes sparkling against the stray rays of sunlight peeking through the trees around them. "Where do you find yourself gravitating towards, Y _uur_ i?" And there something about the way his name rolled off his tongue, the u elongated, the r's thick with an accent that somehow complimented his name in a way it shouldn't, that Yuuri couldn't be mad at him for that question, only answer as sincerely as he could.

With a soft laugh and an uncertain smile tugging at lips gaping half a second before, "That doesn't help much," he sighed, the frustration leaving his body with that one deep exhale.

Viktor tilted his head, disappointed. "Why not?"

Finally, he broke their eye contact with some difficulty, his own gaze shifting instead to roam freely at the area around them. The ice of the lake sparkled under the sunlight, little diamonds trapped in its cold surface, waiting for the rare few months where water took the place of the frost and the sun was finally allowed to shed some warmth to the life beneath.

"Because we're already here."

Viktor's expression slackened for a moment, the _oh_ silent but implied, before he let out a content exhale, joining his companion in admiring the view. "That's good…" he mused, tone lighter, more tender than it had been so far. "I like this place… There's something… _different_ about it."

Yuuri turned back to look at him. Viktor was leaning back against his palms, head tilted lazily to the side as he looked over at the lake. A half smile graced his features, the epitome of casual contentment. "Different how?"

He laughed once, short but genuine. "Don't mock me for it."

"I'd never."

When that piercing gaze of his was directed his way, radiating a confidence you couldn't have guessed by his previous request, Yuuri froze under the intensity of it, long before the words even registered in his mind.

"I could have sworn, it feels like magic."

* * *

 _A/N: Vicchan deserves all the love he can get, okay?_

 _I wanted to include the entirety of their 'not-date' but the wordcount would kind of skyrocket, so expect the rest of it in the next chapter!_

 _Hope you liked it, don't forget to leave a comment before you go!_

 _Find me on tumblr at .com_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

When Yuuri had been eight years old, he could make a small stone skip fifteen times on the surface of the ocean, no matter how intense the waves could be, just as long as he could trace its pathway with his eyes, half a second faster than the stone itself. A surge of pride sparked with every successful toss and everyone would think it was amazing.

When Yuuri had been ten, he could make the ink dance in his drawings, stick figures twirling and turning as though they were celebrating their last night on earth. And he would smile at the joy found on the page, cheeks flushed with his own brand of happiness at the beauty he saw possible in every impossible way all around him. And everyone would think it was wonderful.

But it was all too soon that kids were taught of being _weird_.

And all too soon there was no amazement to be found. By the time he was twelve, he was asked to _stop_. Hide your drawings, stop the skipping, don't make things fly, don't call them here, don't make this _move_ , stop _being weird._

If Hasetsu, a town with its few witches well known, would nag at him to hide, to stop, to _stop_ , then Yuuri had learned far too early on in his life that the world didn't _like_ weird.

And when at fifteen, he had read about witchcraft and witch trials, he had understood just how burning the hatred could be for things impossible to be understood. Even if the only thing he couldn't grasp right then, safely tucked into his mother's arms, as she held him close to comfort her lovely child, was how a gift he received from her, could ever be conceived as _wrong_.

Phichit had been a blessing. A source of the most unadulterated positivity, a ray of sunshine that brought acceptance when he had so desperately needed it. Yuuri, who had been terrified to leave a home that at the very least knew him, even if it didn't particularly want him, and didn't know how to act away from it, found a person willing to guide him in his false normalcy, while embracing everything that made him different. Phichit would warn Yuuri when something gave him away, while at the same time felt at home with the Enchanted World of Yuuri that had become of their dorm.

He didn't blink at mentions of magic, just rolled with it, sometimes slightly in awe.

Still, when Viktor proclaimed his love of this place and the magic it was infused with, the aura he gave off was unlike anything Yuuri had ever encountered.

"I could have sworn it feels like magic."

The statement was sudden enough to warrant a moment of panic, complete with gaping and stammering. Does he- does he know? Did he realize? What did he mean? Why would he say- "Wh-What? How do you- mean?"

Viktor pushed himself up, a hint of green tainting the back of his pants from where he was sitting. A gentle smile, small but inviting graced his lips, as he offered a hand to help his companion stand.

Yuuri had to admit, he did wonder how rude it would be if he got up by himself, before he accepted the offer. The blush on his cheeks went ignored, though he couldn't stop the feel of his hands in his to register in his slowly calming mind. Soft and surprisingly cool.

"Let me explain," Viktor said, and chuckled when their little Guardian joined in as well. Vicchan ran over to them, jumping around at their feet.

Together they walked over to the edge of the lake, the young witch carefully keeping his thoughts blank so he wouldn't have to consider the way their hands were still intertwined, warm and shaking ( _please, don't let Viktor notice he was_ shaking) trapped in the other's gentle, cold.

Viktor knelt down, the hold guiding Yuuri with him. And Yuuri followed, until their fingertips brushed over the surface of the ice, only slightly chillier than Viktor himself. For someone like him it wasn't just the cold there to sense, but the underlying buzz of a place enchanted with an innocent kind of magic.

His eyes shifted to his left, where Viktor's smile widened at the touch, even when his brows furrowed with something Yuuri couldn't quite grasp. Whatever it was, it brought a sour taste in his mouth. The frosty white of the ice reflected on the aquamarine of Viktor's eyes, an captivating palette of blues and greens and pure white. It brought a strange desire, as though he could drown in that color, wanted- _needed_ to, yet it remained forever out of reach.

"Do you see here?" Viktor whispered, his voice smooth in its quiet hush. "Do you feel it? It's wonderful."

And Yuuri could feel it, more than anyone else could, for the magic settled like dust on the ice was like a breath of fresh air to the young witch. The real question was, what was it that the other felt so strongly? And most importantly, how did he do it?

"What… What is it?" Yuuri pretended not to understand, eyes wide behind glasses slightly blurred from breaths warm in contrast to the cold.

Vicchan joined them at the edge, stretching forward to take a good look at what the humans were looking at. He lifted a paw to touch the ice. The touch shocked the poor pup, who yipped and slipped and in one swift motion he was lying with his belly on the ice, legs splayed out around him. The whine he left was more frustrated than hurt however, so they wouldn't feel too guilty for laughing at the adorable sight.

Unfortunately, it also distracted Viktor from the original question.

"It's so nice, isn't it?" he cooed to the fallen puppy, scratching his head with a loving smile on his face. "Isn't it, _Vicchan_?" And Yuuri was struck at how different (precious) the name sounded when it came from his lips.

Ignoring his companion's spluttering at the sudden action, Viktor joined his namesake on the ice, lying on his back on the harsh surface, limbs spread out around him, the poster boy of a kid making a snow angel. "Yuuri, join us."

"You'll catch your death like that," Yuuri commented instead, a hand reaching out, uncertain. "Not to mention you might fall in."

"It's frozen."

"Well, what if it breaks?"

"Y _uur_ i!" he whined, scrunching his nose. How was he not shivering? "It's been frozen for months!"

Yuuri raised his brows at him. "Sure. Don't trust the person who has lived here for years. Not to mention, your tour guide." Never mind how bad of a job he had been doing in that area.

Vicchan barked twice from his spot next to Viktor, jumping to his feet with no warning. He rushed away from the ice, whining incessantly as he buried himself as thoroughly as he could in his owner's thick coat. With one hand on his shivering dog's form, Yuuri reached out to touch the lake that had the poor Guardian so frightened. What-

"Viktor, get off the ice."

"What-"

"Get off the ice _now_ ," he snapped. The pang of guilt at the shock in Viktor's expression once he propped himself up on his elbows to gape at him, wasn't enough to overpower his panic. Not when the buzzing of the lake wavered and waned, with a person still lying _on top of it._

Manners and shyness be damned, Yuuri stumbled to his feet and grasped a handful of Viktor's coat. With a mighty _pull,_ Viktor slid forward, his feet failing to find good purchase on the frozen ground to stand. It was enough however, to get most of him on steady ground, just as an deafening _crack_ froze them both in place.

The original break came at the very center of the lake and traveled fast, too fast for either of them to have been able to do anything about it, had Vicchan not warned them, towards them. A threatening, chaotic line headed straight to where the two had previously stood.

The pup whined pitifully at the sight and Yuuri bent down to pick him up, hushing him with sweet words and pets, even if he too felt his breath quicken the longer he stared at the wreck in front of him.

What truly hurt him however, twisted his stomach with a frustration founded in his own useless, was the look of utter remorse Viktor gave him. He turned to him his content expression shadowed, his playful pout replaced by a trembling scowl.

"I-I apologize," he muttered, forlorn. "You heard from Yuri yesterday. I'm… I'm more than a little unlucky, it seems."

And maybe it was because this was a problem that Yuuri should have _solved_ already, or at the very least had a clue on how to do so, or because professional relationship or not, Viktor's smile was something to be protected- whichever the case he refused to let the man take the blame for this, regardless of the truth. "Oh, come on," he remarked. "I was the one who jinxed it, wasn't I?"

A bright grin was granted for his attempt, though a hint of pain remained in those eyes. In spite of what Yuuri said, bad things must have happened often enough for Viktor to be unable to do much more than appreciate the gesture.

"I guess we can be unlucky together then." Perhaps play along with it too.

And despite the deep red tint adorning his face, Yuuri couldn't help but smile.

* * *

After the initial shock of seeing Yuuri's self-scribbled notes, Phichit _demanded_ he explained everything he could about magic. Which although a reasonable request under the circumstances, was harder than either of them could have imagined. Yuuri had been scared at first, years of being told by normal people just how _foreign_ he was even in his own hometown stitching a fear of being thrown away on his heart.

It took one look at Phichit, laughing openly as he tried to catch a pen currently running away from him for hope to bloom that maybe, just maybe _some_ people could be better than that. The satisfied grin his roommate got when he used Yuuri's notebook as bait to catch the pen henceforth dubbed as Scribs by its captor, allowed him to grant just enough trust to agree to the request. After all, his secret _was_ out, so there wasn't much more damage he could do. (And at the very least perhaps he could get Phichit to like him, before Scribs could have a chance to doodle whiskers on his cheeks to claim vengeance.)

The second he opened his mouth however, he was completely and utterly _stumped._

"It's… It's like… Uh…" Phichit's eager smile did not waver when he stammered. Yuuri scratched the back of his neck and fiddled with his shirt, all the while rolling over the words on his tongue that made no sense to himself, much to less to a person who didn't share the experience. "I'm not sure what to tell you. It's not like I've ever been without it to know what the difference is."

His roommate remained undeterred. "That's fair. Maybe one day we'll figure it out!"

To thank him for his unwavering optimism and a faith in him he never would have dared to hope for, Yuuri smirked at the cartoon hamster on his new friend's notebook and watched with delight as Phichit cooed and clapped when the little cute cartoon ran around the pages.

* * *

He pondered this, as he and Viktor waited for their food at his favorite cafe. That counted for sightseeing, right? Anyway, if Yuuri couldn't possibly explain magic to his friend, then it was somewhat unreasonable to expect Viktor to be able to properly describe a magic induced feeling. _If_ it was a magic induced feeling in the first place.

Half a day with him later and the only thing he had learned was that the seemingly unluckiest person in the world had pretty eyes.

Useful.

"You've been quiet for bit," said person noted after a while. "What are you thinking about?"

He looked up to find a gaze boring into him, confirming his earlier conclusion. Again- useful.

"Would you…" Yuuri cleared his throat, gaining time to gather his thoughts. "You never told me what was so special about the lake. Apart from the fact that it survived months of being frozen until _we_ got to it."

He scoffed, not unkindly, if the twitch on the corner of his lips was any indication. "I suppose what I did sounded more like 'look, cold!' than a normal explanation, huh?"

"Well you weren't _wrong_ …" Yuuri shrugged and couldn't stop his own smile when Viktor finally laughed.

He ran a hand through silver hair, before it ended up back in front of his face, pausing with one finger perched on his lips. "It's harder to explain in words-"

"Gestures work," he offered, cringing on the inside. Thankfully more laughter followed- he must have thought it was a joke and not Yuuri's desperate attempt to find any sort of useful clue.

Maybe Viktor took him seriously, or maybe there was genuinely no other way to describe a feeling like that, but next time he spoke, his hands waved around wildly, emphasis fully received. "It's just-! Different, you know? I've never felt anything like this from the rest of the town, almost like-" Palms open upwards moved once, twice, as his words got stuck, not quite fitting enough to be used. "An aura, a-"

"Buzzing?" Yuuri finished. Somehow during the conversation he had leaned forward in his seat and the other had mimicked him, until they were both close, too close to each other to-

"Yes…" He whispered, his breath ghosting over Yuuri's face. "A buzzing." And then came the blurted question, killing the moment with deadly precision.

"Viktor, are you magic?"

"What?"

" _WHAT_?"

Yuuri hit the back of the seat with a loud _thump,_ earning a momentary wince from Viktor before the previous surprise returned. What was he thinking what was he thinking what was he thinking oh my G-

"Yuuri?" the poor, unsuspecting human asked, tilting his head. Yuuri could do nothing but stare, feel the heat rise all the way to his ears. He watched, as Viktor's expression melted into something… something… flirty? "What was it that you said?" He placed an elbow on the table to rest his face against his hand. A smirk brought challenge into his features.

And _then_ Yuuri realized exactly how his words sounded to someone who was unfamiliar with magic.

If Viktor's hand motions were exaggerated before, they had nothing on Yuuri's frantic, flailing arms that accompanied his desperate attempt to explain himself.

"No-no- _no!_ No, I- I meant-" Yeah, there was no good explanation for this. With a deep sigh, he adjusted the glasses on his face. It gave his hands something to do and his mind a moment to settle down from its panic. Vicchan barked at his feet, where he was kept by a leash close to them at the table, once again saving his owner's hide. "Right! Tell me- about Makkachin! When did you get her?"

The question surprised him for half a second before the joy that came with talking about his dog took over and Viktor dove for his phone with a newfound excitement, turning the conversation into a proper presentation with photos to match.

"I found her!" he exclaimed, scrolling to the far end of the folder properly named _Makka_ to click on the very first photo taken. "She was outside my house. Like- like she was just waiting there for me!"

A small Makkachin greeted Yuuri from the photo and he couldn't resist cooing at the sheer cuteness of the little puppy in the snow, all fluffy fur and big eyes and a pink tongue sticking out. She looked clean for a supposed stray- Viktor had no idea how right he was. Of course, his Guardian had been waiting for him and him alone.

Viktor showed him another couple of similar photos, the cute Guardian on her first days with her favorite human. One even had Viktor in it, young, with hair long enough to reach his waist. He looked almost like a different person, with that silver waterfall cascading down his shoulders. Yuuri saved the question behind that for later.

"It was nice of you to keep her." As if you had any choice in the matter.

Viktor hummed. The scrolling between pictures continued, his smile changing forms, from happy to nostalgic to a strained expression fallen deep in thought, which made Yuuri wonder but not brave enough to ask. "My father didn't want me to. He made such a big deal out of it."

He frowned at the thought of Makkachin being rejected this way. "Did you mom let you keep her then?"

It was clear how wrong his words had been, once the fingers on the phone stilled and the device was gently set down on the table, forgotten.

"She had died recently back then," Viktor admitted, looking down as he coughed. When he looked up at Yuuri again, that strained expression from before was back, obvious enough to make him wish he had swallowed his words instead. " _But_ -it was the excuse I used against him, so in a way, I guess she did!" The quiet laugh he gave was hollow.

"Viktor…"

"Makka was… truly a blessing at the time. And she has been ever since. Without fail."

Yuuri withdrew his gaze from him, only so he could share a look with his own Guardian, who looked up immediately at the attention. A pointed tilt of his head towards their new friend later and Vicchan was quick to comply at the silent suggestion. The puppy jumped up, close to Viktor's legs, trying but not quite able to reach his lap without aid he was quickly given by a delighted, laughing human.

"What about this little one then? When did you meet him?"

Relief washed over him at the gentle happiness the two of them showed together. And more than a little satisfaction at having managed to bring him back from those dark thoughts.

"Much like Makkachin, he was a gift from my mother." _To protect you, my boy, and so you can see that this world of ours has so much good to give, no matter what they tell you._ His lips trembled at the memory.

He didn't understand at first, what the wide eyed stare was from, until Viktor muttered, his face open and vulnerable. "You think Makka was a gift from my mother?"

"I'm certain of it."

And for once-

For the first time-

 _That_ was a clue.


End file.
